Sunlight: Federal spending data is “broken”

The law in question is the 2006 Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, which was sponsored by then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.). The law mandated the creation of a website, USASpending.gov, that would disclose all contractors and organizations receiving more than $25,000 in federal funds.

Since USASpending’s launch in December 2007, the site has drawn frequent criticism over the timeliness and accuracy of the data posted. Federal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra unveiled an technology-specific version of the site dubbed the “IT Dashboard” last year that has received similar criticism. Coburn in particular has prodded the administration repeatedly to improve its reporting mechanisms.

“As the Clearspending report shows, federal agencies need to focus on the quality of data they collect. If the data is unreliable, then the quality of tools and websites built upon it is irrelevant,” Sunlight said in a statement. “At the moment, USASpending.gov cannot be considered a meaningful source of information about federal spending.”

According to Sunlight, the Corporation for National and Community Service, the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Science Foundation are among the best reporting agencies, while those that struggle often have large budgets or distribute numerous grants, such as the Department of Health and Human Services and Veterans Affairs Department.